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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The St. Bonaventure men and Richmond women’s swimming and diving teams have been predicted to take home the 2014 Atlantic 10 Swimming and Diving Championship titles, according to a preseason poll conducted among the league’s head coaches.

The St. Bonaventure men will look for their fifth overall A-10 Swimming & Diving Championship after capturing the team title at last year’s championship. With a total of 688 points, the Bonnies finished ahead of runner-up and six-time defending champion Massachusetts, who finished with 613 points.

Key performers returning for the Bonnies this season are swimmers Vatslav Lets and Viachelsav Shchukin. Lets was honored as the Most Outstanding Performer at the 2013 Championship after setting the new Atlantic 10 Conference record for gold medals in a championship meet with eight, along with setting individual event records in the 200-yard Backstroke and the 500-yard Freestyle. Shchukin also returns for the Bonnies after being named the A-10 Most Outstanding Rookie Performer at last year’s championship.

Massachusetts has been predicted to finish second this season, followed by George Mason (3), La Salle (4), George Washington (5), Fordham (6) and Saint Louis (7).

The Spiders of Richmond, coming off their third consecutive A-10 title and 11th conference title in the last 12 years, are the predicted favorite to capture this year’s A-10 Championship. The Spiders return last year’s Most Outstanding Championship Performer, Mali Kobelja, along with A-10 event record holders Kelley Yang (100-yard Butterfly) and Natalya Ares (200-yard Freestyle).

The Rams of Fordham took second place on the coaches’ preseason poll followed by Massachusetts (3), George Mason (4), La Salle (5), George Washington (6), Duquesne (7), Rhode Island (8), St. Bonaventure (9) and Saint Louis (10).

The 2014 A-10 Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships will be held Feb. 19-22 at the SPIRE Institute located in Geneva, Ohio.